Exploring Probability Hands-On: Playing the Game of SKUNK

In a move to infuse our math class with more hands-on activities for the exploration of concepts, we are going to be playing a game of probability during our next few double periods known as SKUNK. What follows is a description of the activity objective taken from an article by Dan Brutlag titled "Choice and Chance in Life: The Game of "Skunk"'

• Drinking coffee may cause cancer: should I drink less of it?
• My mathematics teacher might collect homework today: should I do it?

Every day each of us must make choices like those described above. The choices we make are based on the chance that certain events might occur. We informally estimate the probabilities for events by using a variety of methods: looking at statistical information, using past experiences, asking other people's opinions, performing experiments, and using mathematical theories. Once the probability for an event has been estimated, we can examine the consequences of the event and make an informal decision about what to do.


Following are the basic rules for each of the five rounds of SKUNK.

• To accumulate points in a given round, a pair of dice is rolled.

• A player gets the total of the dice and records it in his or her column, unless a "one" comes up.

• If a "one" comes up, play is over for the round and all the player's points in that column are wiped out.

• If "double ones" come up, ALL points accumulated in prior columns are wiped out as well.

• If a "one" doesn't occur, the player may choose either to try for more points on the next roll or to stop and keep what he or she has accumulated.

• If a "one" or "double ones" occur on the very first roll of a round, then that round is over and the player must take the consequences.